How About It, Kasumi?
by JeremyGU
Summary: Ranma returns to the Tendo Dojo after a five-year absence. His relationship with Akane is over, but he's not giving up on combining the families yet.
1. Are You There, Kasumi? It's Me, Ranma

_Author's note: I generally write sort of WAFF fanfics, because I gravitate towards stories and movies with happy endings. In that vein, you won't see me write much in the Ranma ½ universe that doesn't involve Ranma and Akane being a couple. I was inspired, however, by a fanfic I stumbled upon by Exar called "The Pursuit of Happiness" (formerly titled "Love's Truth"). Online copies:_

triple-W dot florestica dot com/exar/tpoh/  
triple-W dot angelfire dot com/anime3/exarkun/  
triple-W dot fanfiction dot net/s/420348/

_It stopped mid-stream some years back, and it made me think of the possibility of Ranma and Kasumi getting together. I thought about being a sleaze and simply continuing someone else's story, but I think I focus things a bit different than Exar did, so I figured I'd just write my own in a similar vein. This one starts a little dark; I warn you ahead of time._

* * *

Five years. It had been five years since Ranma had arrived at the Tendo house. That meant that it had been four years since he'd _left_ the Tendo house. He'd tried to make things work with Akane. He really had. But... he just couldn't get past the distrust. Every time something happened, it was always his fault. Always. Then there was the violence- when he was in trouble for something he didn't do, it meant dodging flying objects from around the house. No rational human being should be expected to put up with that. So, in exasperation, he'd told his father he couldn't do it. Genma wasn't receptive, so Ranma took the only out that he'd had: part ways with him, and live his life on his own.

It wasn't an easy life, but it wasn't terrible. He'd found a cheap apartment, and got a job working as a mechanic. It was not, however, intended to be permanent. He was keeping up his martial arts exercises, but ways to get paid through martial arts weren't exactly plentiful. He dreamed of the day that he could be a professional MMA fighter, or an instructor at some school. The day would come, he told himself.

Some days, Ranma found himself looking back on the old days at the Tendo house. There were some things that he missed, but he was sure that everything was different now. After all, with five years passed, what he remembered was almost certainly gone- the fun of the rest of the family. Soun had been nice to him, Kasumi was the sweetest person he'd ever met, and Nabiki... well... she made life interesting. After all this time, the girls were most certainly married off. 'Maybe,' he thought, 'I'll go visit in a couple of years, and see how different everything is.'

That visit got bumped up when he received the letter from his mother, Nodoka. He'd kept in touch with her, but this was no friendly correspondence.

_Ranma,_

_I write to you with sad news. Your father, Genma, has died. I wish you could have come before he left us, but it happened suddenly. There is much to discuss, can you come back to Nerima? I still live in the same place, come right away if you wish and are able._

_Mom_

Ranma stared at the letter in disbelief. While he hadn't spoken to his father in years, he certainly hadn't wanted him to die. He packed his bags as quickly as he could and bought a bus ticket. It was time to see how the years had been to everyone.

* * *

Ranma knocked on the door. A sad and familiar face met him at the door. "Ranma," Nodoka said, embracing him. "Come in, my son." Ranma set his things in the room that Nodoka had prepared for him. He mused over a new thought that had popped into his head during the hour-long bus ride, but he didn't know yet if it were possible. As he walked around the house, he was a bit surprised to see a great deal of his dad's things. "Dad moved in with you?" he asked. "Yes," Nodoka replied. "Soun had said he was welcome to stay with him, but he decided that with your engagement off, he might as well come back to his wife." She smiled weakly. "We did get along, though. I think he was afraid at first that I'd hold him to that seppuku promise... well, I did, but that didn't require him to do it. He'd promised to make you a man among men, and you responded by realizing that you were in no-win situation, and made your own way. To me, that makes you a man among men."

Ranma blushed. "I always felt bad for Mr. Tendo," Ranma said. "He didn't say much at the time, but I'm sure he wasn't happy with me." "Actually, Ranma, he always spoke fondly of you. He blamed Akane for your split. He was never cruel to her or anything, but he believed she drove you away. He and your father used to argue over whose child had ruined things, both of them blaming their own. Nice, huh?" She smiled. "But you'll see. We're expected over there for dinner tonight. Kasumi is cooking something wonderful."

A million questions flew through Ranma's mind as they walked to the Tendo house. "What happened to dad exactly?" was the first thing he asked. "He was visiting Soun," Nodoka began. "They were having a friendly spar in the dojo. I guess he told Soun to give him a minute to catch his breath, and just... couldn't. Soun saw the pain on his face and called an ambulance, but he was gone within the hour. He'd had a heart attack. I'm so sorry you weren't around to see your father one last time, even if he was still bitter, but it was so sudden..." "Yeah, me too," Ranma said quietly. He continued. "So, what ever happened with everyone? Did they all go off and get married?" "I'll let _them_ tell you about it. It's been a pretty eventful five years; let's just put it that way."

Ranma turned her reply over in his mind as they arrived at the Tendo house. The memories came flooding back. They weren't fond memories of Akane, but rather, what it had been like to live with the family and go to Furinkan High. They were met at the door by a tearful Soun. "Ranma, my boy," he exclaimed as he wrapped Ranma in an embrace. "I wish things could have gone better. Come, my son, let's go sit." They entered and went to the living room, where Kasumi was setting food out. When she saw Ranma, she hurried to him and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry about your father, Ranma," she said. "Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma replied. "Hey," she continued, "I have more cooking to finish up, why don't we talk in the kitchen?"

They went back to the kitchen, where Kasumi was tending to some pots on the stove. "So, whatever happened with your dad and the dojo?" he asked. "Has he taken any students?" "No," Kasumi said, "he actually got a job at a gym, teaching martial arts fitness classes." She giggled. "He always says it's so monotonous, easy moves to help old ladies squeeze into dresses they should just give up on. But it pays really well."

Ranma noticed that the kitchen looked well-used; he doubted Soun was doing any cooking. "So, what's happened with you and Nabiki and Akane?" he asked nonchalantly. This was the part he was really curious about. "Well, Nabiki is married to Tatewaki Kuno, and she moved into that huge mansion with him. He lost interest in Akane after she got married, and he and Nabiki still spoke, so..." Ranma almost fell over. "Married?" he stammered. "Akane is married?" "Not anymore," Kasumi said. "I think she was mad at herself after you left. The guys started mobbing her again, and she was willing to date some of them. Eventually, she married one a few years younger. They had a baby." Ranma nodded, letting what she was saying filter through his brain. "They didn't end up getting along, though. They split up and Akane got an apartment for herself and her daughter."

"Well, what about you?" Ranma asked. Kasumi smiled sweetly. "Other than getting a few years older, no real change," she replied. "Really?" he said in surprise. "_You?_ I'd figured you be the first to get married! You're so good around the house!" Kasumi blushed. "No one came calling, and, well... without that, why would I move or anything?"

Ranma thought carefully. "This might be a bad time to mention it... I don't know if you ever knew, but Dr. Tofu kind of had his eye on you," he said. Kasumi shook her head. "I figured it out after a while," she said. "I saw him a few times when he didn't see me, and I figured out pretty quick that he acted differently around me. That was a year or so after you left, though. By then, I wasn't so sure that an older guy was better, especially _that_ much older. He's thirty-something, and that's a big difference." She adjusted the dials on the stove. "Besides, he was a doctor first. No matter how he felt about me, it wouldn't have kept him here when he got the offer." "Offer?" Ranma asked. "Oh, some university in the United States," she replied. "They wanted him to teach medicine; of course, he went." "Wow, Dr. Tofu a university professor," Ranma said. It was all a lot to take in, but more importantly, it fit into his bus-ride plan. He'd worry about that later.

Kasumi turned the stove off. "Okay, Ranma, these are ready to go. Want to help me carry?" Ranma smiled. "No problem, Kasumi," he said, grabbing a pot. As he walked the food into the living room, he saw Nabiki and Kuno sitting at the table. Ranma set the pot down, and Nabiki jumped up and hugged him. "Ranma," she said, "I'm so sorry about your dad. Are you okay?" "Hi, Nabiki," he replied. "Yeah, I'll be okay." Kuno rose and they bowed to eachother. "Saotome," he said. "I'll get the last pot, Ranma," Kasumi said. "Have a seat."

Ranma sat across from the pair, with his back to the garden, in his old seat. It felt so familiar. He looked around the room, and saw how little things had changed. He wished things had ended better; he really hadn't wanted to leave this place. "So, Ranma," Nabiki began, "what have you been up to?" "I'm working at a garage, living on the north side of Tokyo," he said. "I'm keeping my eyes open for something martial arts related, though. What about you?" "Just living out my days at the Kuno house," she replied. Ranma nodded, and he heard the outside door open. "Hello!" an all-too-familiar voice called out. Ranma braced himself.

Akane walked in, cradling a baby girl in her arms. Ranma was shocked by her appearance. Gone was the tomboyish, thin but fit frame that he remembered. She had gained a noticeable amount of weight, especially in her face, and she had an aura that screamed "hectic". She looked as though she couldn't make the time for kempo. He stood and their eyes met. "Ranma," she said quietly. "I'm so sorry about your father." "Thanks," Ranma said. "How's life?" Akane sat, holding her baby in her lap. "A little hectic, balancing a job and a girl. Oh that reminds me..." She held her daughter up; Ranma guessed her to be two or three years old. "This is Kotone, my daughter. Kotone, meet Ranma." "Wan... mah..." Kotone gurgled. "She has your eyes," Ranma said, as he let Kotone play with his fingers. Akane smiled.

Kasumi's dinner was great. Afterward, they had tea and reminisced about the old times. Ranma felt a bit badly for Akane- she sounded sad when she recalled what life used to be like. She was happy when she got to talk of Kotone, but that was it. He was sure of one thing, though- he had no interest in trying to rekindle their former relationship. That was part of his bus-ride idea. It had occurred to him that it may not be too late to carry out the old plan of marrying children in order to have someone to continue the dojo. It had depended upon what the situation was with the three women that he would have to choose from. Nabiki was married, obviously, and he didn't think he'd get along with Akane any better than he used to. That just left...

"Kasumi... wanna take a walk around the garden? I want to talk to you about something..."


	2. Lets See How It Goes

_Author's note: A commenter on the first chapter asked about Shampoo and Ukyo. You hear a little about them in this one, and they're going to be in the next couple of chapters. I wanted to get some of the talking out of the way first. After all, involving those two equals a lot of action to write._

* * *

"Ranma, are you proposing to me?"

"No, Kasumi," Ranma said, planning each word carefully. "Not proposing. I just thought... maybe we could date a bit, see how it goes. If things don't work out then fine, but maybe they will." Kasumi blushed a bit. Ranma could tell she didn't get asked out often; what he couldn't figure out was why. "Well, Ranma, you were always great to everybody," she said. "I used to think Akane was so lucky. I like your idea very much." She smiled, not her usual sweet smile, but a slightly embarrassed smile to match her crimson face.

When they went back in the house, Akane and the Kunos were getting ready to leave. Everyone said their goodbyes. Ranka gave Akane a hug; he was thankful that she didn't act affectionate, only friendly. He was also surprised by how much bigger she was, how different she felt compared to when they'd been engaged. Ranma, Kasumi, Soun, and Nodoka sat around the table.

"Mom, Mr. Tendo," Ranma began, "Kasumi and I wanted to talk to you about something. It's my idea." They listened closely. "I was thinking, on the way here, about how our families know eachother in the first place. About the plan you and my father had made. I don't see why that can't still happen." Both Nodoka and Soun registered surprise. "I didn't think getting back with Akane would be a good idea, and I still don't... obviously Nabiki is married... but I'd always thought Kasumi was a great woman." Kasumi blushed. "We talked about it, and we hadn't decided to get married yet, but we wanted to date a little bit and see how things went."

Soun was overjoyed. He wrapped Ranma in a bear hug. "My son, even now you concern yourself with family honor. Of course you may date my Kasumi. I wish you all the luck in the world. Kasumi! We need to make up Ranma's old room!" Kasumi looked at Ranma cautiously. "Unless you would rather stay in the place you're at," she said, "it's up to you, Ranma." "After being here again, I realized that I missed this place," he said. Kasumi brightened- clearly, this was the response she was hoping for. She and Soun hurried upstairs. Nodoka took her son's hand. "You aren't doing this just for honor, are you, Ranma? You don't need to do this if you don't want to." "Nah," Ranma said, "as much as I try to keep the family honor, if I thought it wouldn't work I wouldn't have suggested it. I really do think it's a good idea." "You don't mind leaving your job and apartment up north?" she asked. Ranma shook his head in disgust. "That apartment is cramped and that garage drives me nuts. If anything, I'm glad for the excuse to get away!" Nodoka smiled. "I have a good feeling about this, Ranma," she said. "And remember, if things don't work out, you don't need to run off again. Stay with me, here in Nerima." "I'll do that, mom," he replied.

Ranma stood in his new, or rather old, room. The memories flooded back, but it wasn't quite the same. Specifically, it felt empty with only one futon in it. He sighed as he realized that he wasn't going to be sleeping next to his father like before. Much of the furniture was still there from five years ago, giving the room the same atmosphere that it always had. He looked out the window at the garden. Same old view.

He walked out of the house and strolled over to the dojo. The walkway had been re-roofed, he noticed. It was a mild change, but with so little different, it was easy to notice. He walked into the dojo and looked around, seeing how unchanged it was. A hole in the wall caught his eye. Akane had put her fist through it the first day he was here, in their friendly fight. Some in this situation might have cried over Akane as a lost love, but Ranma knew it was a nice point in a relationship that was doomed from the start.

"Look familiar?" Ranma jumped and turned around, seeing that Kasumi had entered. "Yeah," he said. He looked her over. She had changed her clothes, and was dressed in a way that he'd never seen her- jeans and a shirt. "Wow, jeans... I've never seen you wear anything that wasn't a dress!" he said in surprise. "Yeah, I kind of got in the habit of dressing down a little bit," she said. "I thought it might help attract men. What do you think of this look?" She spun around. Ranma was afraid to tell her what he _really_ thought, for fear of sounding like a pervert, so he said it as mildly as he could. "You look really good. It suits you." Kasumi smiled.

Ranma sat, looking out the door, and Kasumi laid down on her side, facing him. He found it hard not to stare. "You know, Ranma, it surprised me a little that you didn't get with one of those girls that was always chasing you," she said. "You could have gotten with any of them so easily." "They were all crazy," Ranma said. He thought for a moment. "So what happened to Shampoo and Ukyo?" he asked. "They still around?" "Shampoo is," Kasumi said. "Ukyo's restaurant got popular and she moved it near downtown Tokyo. I've been there a few times." "Wow," Ranma said, "I feel like I haven't done enough these past five years. Everybody's moved on to such big things." "Not everybody," Kasumi said. "You've gone further than me!" "Yeah, but you were doing important stuff already," Ranma said. "You don't have any moving up to do." Kasumi blushed again.

They sat in silence for a moment. "How has life been with your curse?" Kasumi asked. "I learned to wear a slicker at all times, just in case," he said. "My first thought had been to be upfront about it, but the other guys at that garage... they'd have been dumping water on me every time I was male!" Kasumi laughed. "My curse doesn't bother you, does it?" he asked. "Not at all," she replied. "It will create challenges here and there, you know?" Ranma said. "I mean, if we were at the beach, we'd have the choice of going in the water or... y'know... but not both. Unless you're secretly into girls." Kasumi smirked. "You don't have to _like_ women to... do stuff with them," she said, chuckling. Ranma laughed. This was a side of Kasumi he'd never seen, and he liked it.

"You know what, Kasumi?" Ranma asked. "What?" "I've thought over the past few years... I wish I'd have been given the chance to spend some time around all three of you. You know, get to know you and your sisters, and then choose the one that I was most compatible with. I know you didn't want a younger guy back then, but we might have hit it off..." "Maybe," she said, "but you were in class with Akane, so I doubt you'd have chosen Nabiki or I, unless you really took a long time to choose." "Maybe," he said, pensively.

Ranma looked at the sunset; it was almost dark by now. The streetlights blinked on. He stood. "Well, looks like it's getting dark, might as well head inside," he said. "Yeah," Kasumi replied. Ranma held a hand out and helped her up. She stumbled against him before steadying herself, and ran her hands along his shoulders. He felt that perverted feeling coming back. She smiled at him. "I have a good feeling about this, Ranma," she said.

"Me too," he replied.


	3. Ai lan!

_Author's note: This chapter involves some lime themes. Proceed at your own risk._

* * *

Ranma walked cheerfully through the gate at the Tendo house. He was just returning from moving out of his apartment and quitting his job. He didn't realize just how much he despised working there until he quit. He'd saved some money up, so _that_ wasn't going to be a problem, and with luck he'd be running the dojo with Soun after not too long.

As he came through the gate, he heard Kasumi singing. He walked around to the garden, where Kasumi was hanging clothes. She was wearing jeans again, with a white tee shirt. When he'd lived here before, she'd always seemed so motherly. For the first time, he was aware of her _woman_ side, and he liked it. He'd thought she was cute before; he never knew she was so... sexy.

Kasumi noticed him. Her face brightened. "Ranma!" she said. She pinned the shirt she was hanging and rushed over to hug him. They held eachother for a second before letting go. Kasumi picked up another shirt and began pinning it to the line. Ranma remembered something he'd seen on the bus trip. "Hey, Kasumi," he said, "we should go out tonight. There are some great places to eat along the boardwalk by the park." Kasumi smiled. "That sounds wonderful, Ranma," she said. "It's going to be our first date!" Ranma strutted inside. Oh yeah. He was the man.

* * *

Eight o'clock found them walking along the boardwalk in the park. They'd gone to eat at a great restaurant called "The 654 Club". It had been a great meal, but it was nothing compared to Kasumi's cooking. He'd told her this, making her blush. Now, they watched the boats and swimmers in the water while they talked. He'd never talked to her for any length of time; as he got to know her, he realized that he really liked her personality. If only he'd been paired with her from the beginning...

"Have you ever messed around with martial arts?" he asked. "Dad's showed me some stuff before, but to be honest, it never really interested me," she answered. She looked down at the water, as if she was nervous saying this, but he wasn't bothered. "Aw, that's no big deal," Ranma said. "Martial arts is kind of an obsession. Either you've got it, or you don't." "I've seen some of the stuff you do to train," she said, smirking. "'Obsession' is right." Ranma snickered. Akane used to say stuff like that, but _she_ wasn't joking. As they stood leaning on the railing, Ranma leaned back to sneak a peek at her... figure. He liked what he saw. She caught him looking and gave him a coy look. He put his arm around her, and she leaned on him.

"Kasumi?" he said, quietly. "Yeah, Ranma?" "How do you think things are going so far?" he asked. "Are you happy with... us?" She nuzzled his chest. "Definitely," she said. She looked up at him and he met her gaze. He leaned over and kissed her softly. She put her arms around his neck and kissed back. When Ranma opened his eyes, he saw her smiling from ear to ear. "Ranma, that was amazing," she said, laying her head against his chest. "It was for me too," he whispered. Life was good.

"Ai lan!" a familiar voice called out. "Son of a..." Ranma muttered, turning to face the source of the previous Chinese. "Hello, Shampoo," he said unenthusiastically, "how are you?" Shampoo threw her arms around him, and he quickly pried her off. "Ranma!" the blue-haired maniac cried. "Why you not see Shampoo after you leave Akane? It not too late, you know..." "Sorry, Shampoo," Ranma said quickly, "I'm with Kasumi now." Shampoo looked closely at Kasumi. "You Tendo, no? You violent girl's sister!" She pulled back and looked at Ranma. "What you want other Tendo for? They all alike! Amazon womans make better choice!" "I'm very happy, Shampoo," he said, "I'm not going to change my mind."

Shampoo turned to walk away, but a look of menace glinted in her eye. "Ranma will have Shampoo if his new fiancée no there," she said. She spun around and launched a kick at Kasumi's face. "Shampoo, stop!" Ranma yelled, as he jumped in between to stop her. Shampoo's feet connected with his head, and the unconscious Ranma dropped into the water. Kasumi quickly sprang in after the now female Ranma, pulling her to the surface. She swam to the edge, and with some effort, managed to drag Ranma onto the boardwalk. She stood looking at Shampoo, soaking wet, with a look that Kasumi Tendo had never had in any Ranma ½ anime: anger.*

Kasumi jumped at Shampoo. "You could have killed him! What is wrong with you?" Shampoo smiled innocently. "Was accident?" she said sweetly.

As Ranma had previously determined, Kasumi had no martial arts training. It's a well-known fact, however, that all women are born with the knowledge of a single, powerful move: the bitch-take-your-hands-off-my-man maneuver. There's a funny thing about martial artists- they are trained to channel their anger in a constructive way to defeat their opponent. Kasumi was _not_ a martial artist. Instead, she let her anger boil over, perfectly executing the BTYHOMM maneuver by punching Shampoo in the face with enough force to launch her over the railing and out into the water. She watched with contempt as the feline Shampoo paddled away.

Kasumi knelt by Ranma, but she was still out. She picked her up under the arms and dragged her toward the bath house on the beach.

Ranma awoke to warm water pouring over him. He saw Kasumi's worried face, and looking around, saw that he was in a shower stall. "Ranma," Kasumi asked, worried. He shook his head. "I'm okay, Kasumi." He tried to remember what had just happened; all that came to him was that it was something with Shampoo. "Sorry about that," he said. "Don't worry about it, I got rid of her," Kasumi said, brushing her wet hair from her face. It was at that point that Ranma became acutely aware of how Kasumi looked. Wet hair... jeans looked shiny from the water... her white shirt seemed to have changed color... it looked a bit more like her... skin. His eyes traveled down and he realized he could see... a whole lot more than he used to be able to. He felt the redness rushing to his face; Kasumi grabbed him by the shoulders in worry. "Ranma, are you going to fall?" she asked. "No," he said, putting his arms around her. "I feel... good..." He kissed her deeply, and felt her push herself against him, squeezing him tight. He looked into her eyes, seeing a fire he'd never seen there before. This was definitely the woman side of Kasumi.

The park was ten minutes from the Tendo house. They arrived home an hour later.

* * *

_*Author's note: As far as I've seen, Kasumi Tendo has been angry only once: in the manga, volume 1 chapter 2, when she bitched out Genma for taking Ranma to Jusenkyo. I haven't finished the manga, so it's possible she does elsewhere and I don't know about it._

_And yes, I broke the fourth wall up there. Bite me. Also, if you didn't get the reference to The 654 Club, Google it. It's a reference to an awesome card trick performed by Bill Malone._


	4. Downtown

_Author's note: A commenter said they thought it was OOC for Ranma to not be acting shy around girls. That's true, but it's intentional: it's been five years since he'd arrived, meaning he went from age sixteen to age twenty-one. A lot of people get over shyness at this stage in life._

* * *

Ranma sat in his futon. He was wide awake, but delaying getting out of bed. The events of the previous day were turning over in his mind. They had got back fairly late, Kasumi had gone straight to the bath, and Ranma took one after her. He'd seen her briefly again before going to bed. She'd kissed him goodnight, but he was still worried that she regretted what they'd done. _He_ didn't regret it, even if it had happened earlier than he'd have liked, but that didn't matter if _she_ regretted it. It could still mean that the whole thing was derailed.

Feeling edgy, Ranma got dressed and headed downstairs. He found Kasumi outside the living room; some food in the room smelled really good. He hugged her and she gave him a kiss. She was smiling- if she did regret something, she wasn't broken up about it. Glancing through the doorway, Ranma noticed Soun peeking at them over his newspaper. "I made okonomiyaki," she said. "It's on the table." That sounded great to Ranma, and he rushed in and started filling a plate. Soun set his paper down, smiling. "Looks like you two are getting along pretty good, son," he said. "Yeah, we really are," Ranma replied. He was about to eat but was interrupted as a teary-eyed Soun wrapped him in a bear hug. "Oh, my son," he said, "you'd be making your father so happy right now!" "I'm... glad," he said, unsure of how to answer. Soun, grinning ear-to-ear, went back to reading while Ranma dug into the okonomiyaki, all the while eyeballing Soun in hopes that he wouldn't be caught off-guard by another embrace.

Soun eventually left for his job at the gym, and Kasumi sat down next to Ranma, munching on the remaining food. "Ranma, can we talk?" she asked. Ranma felt a little relieved that they were talking about the elephant in the room. "Sure," he answered. "About what happened yesterday," she began, "I want you to know that I wouldn't usually do... that... so early in a relationship. It's just that we're getting along so well, and we'd known eachother a few years back... and it's not like I date that much to start with..." Ranma stared straight ahead. "Do you regret doing it?" he asked. "No!" Kasumi said quickly. "No, I don't regret any of it. I just didn't want you to think..." "That you're easy," Ranma said. She nodded. "Don't worry, I didn't think that," Ranma said quietly. "After all, I was taking part, too." She laid her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. She smiled up at him. "You make me really happy, Ranma," Kasumi said. "I'm really glad you came back."

* * *

Over the next few days, Ranma put his time into researching what it took to run a dojo. While martial arts was an ancient practice, in modern Japan, there were papers to file and records to keep. Fortunately, it didn't look as though he would have any trouble. As bad as he was at paperwork and writing, he was sure he could manage the little bit he had to do. Then there was the issue of being a martial arts instructor. He had to demonstrate certain skills to a board in central Tokyo, and he made an appointment to go on Friday. The description of the process didn't worry him, and if it was anything like what Soun described doing back when he'd founded the dojo twenty-something years ago, it wouldn't be a problem.

Things during that time went well with Kasumi, too. When he wasn't practicing or filling out forms, he took some time to show her a few moves. Though she'd said it didn't particularly interest her, she was willing and seemed to enjoy it. He was surprised at how easily some of it came to her; then again, she was in pretty good shape already. How she managed to keep a figure like that just with housework and a little stretching he couldn't quite figure out, but he wasn't going to argue with it. He really loved getting to spend the time with her, and they were staying very close. As time passed, he thought more and more that life would have been a million times easier if he'd been engaged to her when he first arrived.

Friday came, and Ranma and Kasumi took a taxi downtown. Ranma had the idea to make the trip their second date, since downtown was filled with great places to visit. Kasumi mentioned going to Ucchan's. At first, Ranma resisted, until Kasumi pointed out that they'd better find Ukyo before Ukyo found them, lest they get attacked again. "Then again, things turned out pretty good when that happened last time," Ranma pointed out to a blushing Kasumi. Having heard of how the fight ended, Ranma hoped that Shampoo was scared enough not to show up again. Thankfully, he hadn't heard from Kodachi Kuno, either, but seeing as her sister-in-law was also _his_ soon-to-be sister-in-law, he figured Kodachi wasn't given the option to try anything. Nabiki could be pretty persuasive... especially if she has dirt on someone.

Ranma found the evaluation to be a breeze. He was put in a room with about a dozen people, and was told different moves to demonstrate. They were easy moves, and he breezed through them. They had him demonstrate his own special moves; the roasting chestnut, which he demonstrated with a portable stove, impressed them quite a bit. Hitting the vital spots on a dummy so fast that his hands were a blur also got some approval. As he came out to the lobby where Kasumi was waiting, he was sure his smile gave away the outcome. He showed the paperwork to Kasumi: Ranma Saotome, certified Shishō. Kasumi beamed with pride, which made Ranma feel pretty good.

By the time their taxi pulled up at Uuchan's, Ranma was starting to feel a bit nervous. While Ukyo had always been the calmest of the pack of crazy women he'd dealt with, that hardly made her sane. There had been some fights, after all. Kasumi took his hand as they walked in, and he felt the apprehension melt away. It was hard to think bad thoughts with her hand in his.

The new Uuchan's made the original look like a closet. An awning led them into the main entrance, and inside were numerous counters, behind which various okonomiyaki chefs prepared meals for the guests seated around them. The greeter asked them if there was a certain place they'd like to sit. "Is Ukyo Kuonji here tonight?" he asked. "We'd like her table, we're old friends." "Certainly, sir," the man said, and led them to the largest counter in the center. Ukyo's back was to them as she served someone else; Ranma was thankful that he'd have a chance to sit before the potential eruption. He held Kasumi's chair for her and sat next to her.

Ukyo turned around, not looking up as she grabbed glasses from under the counter. "Hello," she said sweetly. "What'll you have to drink?" "Water," Ranma said. Ukyo stopped what she was doing and looked up in shock. "Ranma!" she said, surprised. "Where have you been? Oh, I'm sorry... water." She filled the glass and set it down in front of Ranma. "And for you?" she said, turning to Kasumi. She looked even more shocked. "Hey... aren't you the oldest Tendo daughter?" she asked. "Kasumi," Kasumi said, smiling. "I'll have water." Ukyo filled another glass, a look of confusion on her face.

"So, Ranma," Ukyo said, "where have you been all this time? I heard you left Akane." "Yeah, I did," Ranma said. "I've been living up on the north side of Tokyo." Ukyo was still confused. "So... how did you wind up coming here with Akane's sister?" she asked. "Well, my pop died a couple of weeks ago," he said. "I came back to take care of stuff, and saw the family. I thought I should try the whole merging families thing again. I didn't think it would go any better with Akane a second time around, Nabiki is married, so I asked Kasumi if she'd date me." He put his hand beside his face, and mock-whispered, "between you and me, I always liked her the best." Kasumi blushed.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear about you father," Ukyo said, "though I'd be lying if I said I liked the guy after what he did to me and my father." "I don't blame you for holding a grudge," Ranma said. "That was pretty terrible how he tricked you guys. He ruined your father's business and left you without the fiancée you thought you'd have." Ukyo refilled a drink for another customer and came back. She smiled. "So, what can I get you two?"

They ordered and Ukyo started cooking. The smell was exactly the same as it had always been at the old Uuchan's. They were done in a few minutes, and she served them. Ukyo spoke. "I don't mean to ask a bad question, especially if you're on a date, but..." She took a breath. "If you didn't want to be with Akane, why didn't you come see _me_? You knew how I felt about you." "You're a great friend, Ukyo," Ranma replied, "but I just couldn't picture ever liking you more than as a friend. We go way too far back. I knew I could have asked to stay with you or whatever, but I knew you liked me, and since I didn't feel the same way... it would have meant problems." Ukyo nodded quietly, as if she understood.

They stayed and chatted a little while. Ukyo seemed a little bit depressed after Ranma told her how he'd always felt, but it didn't seem to come as much of a surprise, either. 'It's been four years since she's seen me,' he thought. 'She had to have known I'd have come around if I had feelings for her.' He made sure to mention that things were going very well, in hopes of keeping her from showing up later in an attempt to change his mind. On the way out, he saw Konatsu cooking at one of the other counters; they talked for a few minutes. It didn't sound like he'd made any progress with Ukyo; Ranma sort of hoped the two of them would become an item. Being in a happy relationship, he found himself hoping everyone else would find a way to be just as happy.

When they got home, it was late and Soun was already in bed. Ranma and Kasumi shared a kiss outside her bedroom before they went to bed. Ranma lay awake, thinking about the future. Unlike his relationship with Akane, Ranma was certain that this one was going to last. He could hear wedding bells ringing already.


	5. Will you?

Ranma sat, restless. He was hot in the sun, but this wasn't the cause of his edginess. In fact, he couldn't quite figure out the cause. There shouldn't be anything about this that was the least bit of a surprise. Still, it made him nervous. He looked at the sign next to where he was sitting: "GYM MEMBERSHIPS: ¥ 1.500 / MONTH! LIMITED TIME ONLY!" He scoffed. 'Fifteen hundred yen a month?' he thought. 'Go for a jog!' He calmed himself by thinking of recent events. It had been three weeks now since he'd come back to Nerima after his father died. It had been two weeks since he'd got the nod from the folks in the government to be an instructor. Since then, he and Kasumi had been on a handful of dates and had spent a great deal of time together. The experience made him proud of himself for thinking of it. Everything was going _perfect_. Kasumi never thought the worst of him like Akane had years ago, and without the yelling, he found it a whole lot easier to say nice things without them coming out wrong.

The gym door opened and Soun walked out. He spotted Ranma immediately, looking surprised to see him. "Ranma!" he said. "What brings you here?" "I wanted to talk to you about Kasumi," he said. Soun looked worried. "Are you two having problems? It hasn't been very long! Maybe you just need more time!" Soun started to tear up; Ranma hurried to stop his panic level from rising. "No, no!" he said. "Everything's going really good! What I wanted to talk to you about was... well I got the certification to run the dojo, and I'm really enjoying being with Kasumi..." He looked down at his feet. He already knew what the answer was going to be, yet he was still nervous. "I... I want to ask her to marry me," he said quietly. Soun beamed and tears started to stream down his face. "Now, I wasn't going to suggest getting married right now, maybe in a few months," he said quickly, "but I'm certain I want to marry her, and I'm excited to start taking on students at the dojo." Soun wrapped Ranma in a bear hug. "My son," he said through his tears, "your father would be so proud. You make me the happiest man on earth. You have my blessing to marry Kasumi! I'll finish out this month's classes at the gym and we'll take on students together. The School of Anything Goes Martial Arts will go on."

Soun headed back home, while Ranma went shopping for a certain piece of jewelry. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. Back when he was engaged (technically) to Akane, he dreaded the thought of having to marry her. Truly, he spent his time bracing for a life of misery. Now, he was excited about getting married. Why on earth couldn't he have been engaged to Kasumi the first time around? The thought of running the dojo pleased him, too. When you're in high school, running a business sounds like a lot of responsibility to have to deal with. When you've worked blue collar for low pay, it sounds like paradise. He hoped he wouldn't have the old pervert to deal with. That was another morsel he'd heard from Kasumi- after he'd left, Happosai had assumed that there was no future for the school. He'd shacked up with Shampoo's ghoul of a grandmother.

The thought of him getting perverted with _her_ sent chills up his spine. Literally. Kasumi, too; he'd felt her shudder when she told it to him.

That was another fortunate thing about the last couple of weeks. He hadn't seen Shampoo since Kasumi reconfigured her face. Maybe losing a fight to Kasumi was enough to send her hiding. At least he was unconscious when she went in the water- he still hadn't got over his little fear-of-cats issue. He hadn't seen Ukyo again, either, though he hadn't really expected to. Ditto any of the others he used to know. Ryoga had disappeared some time after he broke it off with Akane. Kasumi said she thought he'd gotten lost, and she wasn't even sure if he ever heard about the split. Ranma wondered if he was actually spending his time being Akane's pet P-Chan, though he figured if Ryoga was, that he'd have come back human to beg her for a date. Mousse was nowhere to be found, but Kasumi said she thought he was still living with Shampoo at the restaurant. 'Maybe she'll wise up and give him a chance,' he thought.

"Ranma!" A familiar voice shook him out of his thoughts. He spun around to see a familiar yellow-bandannaed figure approaching. "Ryoga! Where have you been?" "I got lost and wandered onto a cargo plane destined for Canada," he said. "It took me forever to figure out where I was and get back!" "Nice one," Ranma said. He wished this news surprised him, but it didn't. "So," Ryoga said, "with all the time that's passed, I guess Akane married you, unless she eventually came to her senses." "Oh, you didn't hear?" Ranma said. "I couldn't deal with her. I broke off a year after I got here." Ryoga's mouth practically hit the sidewalk. "_You_ broke it off with... _her_?" he stammered. "Yeah, I did," Ranma said. "I'd gone away from my father, and was living alone on the other side of the city. Pop just died, and after I came back, I decided to try and merge the families again. I've been dating Akane's sister Kasumi for a few weeks now, and I'm planning to propose to her pretty soon."

Ryoga was in shock. He was having to take in everything that Ranma had taken in when he got back, plus everything Ranma had done since. Ranma could see the gears turning in his brain as he tried to process it. He shook his head. "So, Akane's... available?" he asked. "She was married, had a baby, and got divorced," Ranma replied. "Actually, she could probably use a good guy to take care of her." He could see the gears turning in Ryoga's head again.

Ranma turned. "Come on, Ryoga; I have shopping to do. Come back with me to the house, and I'll have Kasumi ask Akane over so you two can talk." Ryoga hurried to walk with him.

* * *

Ranma and Ryoga walked into the Tendo house through the front door. "I'm home!" Ranma called. Kasumi came from the living room, hugged him, and gave him a kiss. She saw Ryoga. "Ryoga!" she said. "It's been a long time! Welcome!" "Yeah, I found him when I was out earlier," Ranma said. "Will you be staying for dinner?" Kasumi asked. "Sure," Ryoga said uneasily. Even though he was in his dream scenario, he was still visibly nervous. Ranma took Kasumi by the hand. "Hey Kasumi," he said, "can I talk to you about something? Have a seat in the living room, Ryoga." He led Kasumi to the side door. "C'mon Kasumi, lets go talk outside." They walked toward the dojo.

"I don't know if you knew this before... Ryoga always kinda had a thing for Akane," Ranma said. "Yeah," Kasumi said, chuckling. "I think everybody but Akane knew that!" She perked up as she thought of what Ranma was already planning. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "We should have Akane come to dinner! She could use a good man!" "That's what I'd thought," Ranma said. They reached the dojo. Ranma sat, keeping his knees high, as he knew she would reflexively go to sit in his lap, and he needed to keep her off for what he was about to do. She looked momentarily disappointed, but sat next to him without a word.

"Had you started dinner yet?" he asked. "No," she answered, "why?" "Well, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about," he said. "Oh?" "Yeah," he continued. He put his arm around her, and relished the feeling of her laying her head on his arm. "How are you feeling about... us?" he asked. "Do you think everything's been going well?" She looked at him, slightly concerned. "Oh, yes," she said. "I've been really happy these past few weeks. Why? Is something the matter?" Ranma smiled. "Everything's great," he said. "I've been really happy with this second shot at making things happen. I wish I'd have gotten with you a long time ago." Kasumi sighed happily. Ranma let out a nervous breath and stood up, feeling the ring box in his pocket. Kasumi looked at him, confused again. "Kasumi," he said. He knelt in front of her and pulled the box out.

"Kasumi, I've never felt more sure about anything. Will you marry me?"

Kasumi's eyes filled with tears as she smiled from ear to ear. "Oh, Ranma!" she said. "Ranma! Yes! Of course!" Ranma took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger, staring at it in wonder. She jumped up and they embraced; it felt like they held eachother for an eternity. He pulled back and kissed her softly. "I wasn't thinking right away... a few months, at least," he said. "Of course," Kasumi replied. She looked at the ring again, grinning. She took a step toward the house, stopped, turned, took a step toward the dojo, stopped, and looked around, as though unsure of what to do next. Ranma chuckled. "I talked to your dad earlier today," he said. "I wanted to get his blessing, not that I thought he'd object." Kasumi smiled and hugged him. He took her hand, and they walked back to the house.

"I was thinking, Kasumi," he said as they walked. "You shouldn't cook tonight. Let's get takeout and ask Akane and Nabiki to come. Let's celebrate."

* * *

_Author's note: It's not over yet! Will Ryoga and Akane hit it off? We have a dinner to attend!_


	6. So this is the family

Kasumi hung up the phone. "Akane's coming," she said. "Great," Ranma said. They'd just confirmed that Nabiki and Kuno were also going to be there. Of course, none knew of the news, but that's exactly why they were inviting them in the first place. "Who should we have deliver?" Kasumi asked. Ranma's answer came quickly: "Not Shampoo!" Kasumi giggled. "I don't think she'd come even if we called!" she said, laughing. That gave Ranma pause. "Do you really think so?" he asked. Kasumi looked puzzled. "Call them," he continued. "Maybe they'll send Mousse. I can tell him our announcement, and he can run off after Shampoo without _us_ having to deal with her." "Brilliant," Kasumi said, picking up the phone.

Ranma went to the living room, where Ryoga was pacing. "I don't know, Ranma," Ryoga said. "I've wanted to be with Akane for so long, but what if she's not interested... what if she says no?" "Then she says no," Ranma said. "Would you rather get a no answer or not find out at all?" Ryoga paced a few more steps. "Not find out at all," he said. Ranma smacked him in the head. "Quit your worrying!" he said.

They heard the front door open. After a moment, Nabiki and Kuno walked in. "Ryoga!" Nabiki said. "Where on earth have you been?" "Canada," Ranma said, barely containing his laughter. Nabiki rolled her eyes. Kuno bowed to them, and the four of them sat around the table. "So, Ranma, to what do we owe the dinner invite?" Nabiki asked. Ranma held off on the full answer, but he thought he could let her in on their secondary purpose. "Ryoga and Akane," he said. Nabiki's eyes lit up. "Finally," she said. "You've been trying to get with her since she was with Ranma!"

The doorbell rang. "If they rang the bell, it's the food," Ranma said. Nabiki looked puzzled. "Food?" she asked. "Since when does Kasumi order takeout?" Ranma walked out to the door, where Kasumi was already about to open it. They were met by Mousse, and Ranma was instantly amazed that he managed to find the doorbell. "Hello," Mousse said, "I have your delivery." He held the carryout box in their general direction. Ranma took it while Kasumi paid for it. "I heard things got a little interesting with Shampoo," Mousse said. "Ranma," he continued, "is it true that you've changed Tendo sisters?" Kasumi giggled; Mousse blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you..." Mouse stammered, adjusting his glasses. Ranma stepped forward. "Yeah, it's true," he said. "And make sure that Shampoo realizes that I've made up my mind, and Kasumi here's the one for me. I am _not_ interested in Shampoo!" Mousse brightened. "I'm going to make her mine!" he shouted triumphantly. "Good luck," Kasumi said sweetly. "Make sure it's her you're talking to first," Ranma said, smirking. Mousse left just as Akane walked up carrying Kotone.

"Hi you two," Akane said. "Come on in, Akane," Kasumi said. They all went into the living room where Soun had joined the others. Akane spied Ryoga. "Ryoga!" she said. "It's been so long!" She rushed over to him to give him a one-armed hug; the redness that rushed into his face was noticeable from across the room. Ranma set the box on the table and started taking the food out of it. "Carryout?" Soun said. "Since when do we get carryout when we have guests over?" "It's a special occasion," Ranma said. Soun's face gave away that he remembered their earlier conversation, but the sisters were still confused. Ranma set the last of the food out while Kasumi passed out plates. Finally, once everyone had begun eating, Ranma spoke.

"Kasumi and I invited you here for a specific reason," he said. He and Kasumi sat down next to eachother, surveying the others at the table. It occurred to Ranma that, if Ryoga and Akane could become a stable couple, he was looking at the family dinners from here into eternity. "We wanted to tell you... about this," he said. He took Kasumi's left hand and held it up for everyone to see. The setting sun caught the ring, making it sparkle. Nabiki looked impressed. "Wow, Ranma, I wouldn't have thought you had it in you," she said, before elbowing Kuno. "The ring you gave me looked just like that," she whispered harshly. "I thought you were supposed to be the richest family in Japan!" "He must have found it on sale," Kuno whispered back dismissively. Ranma and Kasumi giggled.

Akane looked surprised. "Wow..." she said after a moment. "Congratulations, you two. I guess when you feel comfortable with something, you don't like to wait..." Ranma could sense that Akane was comparing this sudden engagement to his never showing any desire to marry her before. He stuck a finger out and played with Kotone, who looked delighted. "Yeah, when your personalities click just right," he said, glancing at Kasumi. "But don't worry," he continued, "everybody's got a match someplace." This time he glanced at a red-faced Ryoga.

The rest of dinner was conversation about the coming nuptials. "No, we're not getting married right away, maybe in a few months or a year..." "Yeah, we're going to try to have children..." "Yes, we're planning on staying here so I can run the dojo..." Finally, dinner was over, and Kasumi served tea. Nabiki played with Kotone, seeming interested. "When are you two going to have one?" Ranma asked, half-jokingly. Nabiki shot a look at Kuno, who turned slightly gray. "We've been working on it," Nabiki said. Akane, still seeming distant, walked over to the garden door and stood looking out. Ranma patted Kasumi on the shoulder and went over to Akane. She saw him approach. "I'm happy for you two," she said. "I'm sorry things didn't work out better before." "Not everyone can get along," Ranma replied. Akane nodded slowly, still staring off into the distance. He was willing to bet that she was depressed about her own marriage not lasting. "Hey, make sure you get a chance to spend some time with Ryoga," he said. Shocked from her stupor, Akane looked at him quizzically. "I was going to catch up," she said. "Is there some special reason I should?" "C'mon Akane," Ranma said. "Did you really never realize Ryoga had feelings for you? He wanted to get with you back when _we_ were together!" Akane looked genuinely surprised. "No... I... I never knew..." Akane stammered. "If I'd have known that, I'd have dated him instead of getting with my ex."

Ranma looked back at the table. Ryoga was watching in earnest. Ranma motioned for him to come over. "I ran into him earlier," Ranma told Akane quickly. "That's the other reason we had you come." He went back to the table as Ryoga went over to Akane. They sat on the step. Ranma couldn't hear them talking, but after a few minutes, he saw Akane take his hand and hold it, while every inch of exposed skin on him turn beet red. Ranma looked over to see Kasumi also watching. He put his arm around her. "Looks like everything might turn out for the best after all," he said.

A few minutes later, Akane and Ryoga came back. Akane collected Kotone. "It's time for me to head home. Ryoga's going to walk me," she said. "Don't get lost," Ranma said. He wasn't joking- he knew there was no way that Ryoga would stay at Akanes' place, even if she asked, and the last thing that would help the two of them was if Ryoga promptly disappeared again. Akane held Kotone as she faced Ryoga. "This is Ryoga," she whispered to Kotone. "Wee-oh-gah!" Kotone said. Ryoga blushed... again.

Nabiki and Kuno stayed to talk to Kasumi and Soun, while Ranma secretly followed the pair as they left. He wasn't spying... he was making sure Ryoga didn't get lost anywhere. He hadn't known where Akane lived; he found it to be a decent-looking apartment about ten minutes away. As the two arrived at the front door, Akane kissed Ryoga on the cheek before going inside. Ranma wondered how Ryoga could blush so much without passing out. He saw something else helpful- there was a park across the street, and Ryoga promptly walked over there to camp out under a tree. 'Thank God... if he can see her door, he ought to be able to find his way back,' he thought. Of course, Ryoga had previously gotten lost finding his way to the vacant lot behind his house, so Ranma still had to hope for some luck.

He arrived back at the Tendo house just as Nabiki and Kuno were leaving. They said their good nights, and Kasumi and Ranma sat on the garden step as Soun went to bed. They held eachother while they looked at the stars. "I couldn't have asked for anything better than to marry you," Ranma whispered. Kasumi kissed him softly. "Same here," she replied. They stared at the sky for a minute. "We'll have to rearrange the house after the wedding, so we have a room together," he mused. "Dad said he'll move out of the master bedroom," Kasumi replied. Ranma smirked. "Sharing the bedroom is kind of a nice thought, perverted as that sounds," he murmured. Kasumi smiled at him. "It's not exactly going to going to be a surprise... remember?" she said, chuckling. "How could I forget?" he said. They held eachother in silence for another minute. "So how do you like the idea of being Mrs. Saotome?" he asked.

"It's the most amazing feeling in the world," she replied.

* * *

_Author's note: One more chapter is coming, so stay tuned._


	7. Epilogue

_Author's note: This is the conclusion. Some of the reviews were positive and negative about the amount of dialogue and how it is arranged. I don't like this amount of dialogue at all, but I also don't tend to write long stories. In order to fit all of the where-are-they-now stuff in, I had to write a great deal of what, in movies and television, is called "exposition". That's the process of having two characters just sit and talk about stuff so that the observer learns it more quickly. If you look at my first story, you'll see more writing about actions and surroundings, which is more my normal style. Trust me, the amount of dialogue I was writing in this irritated me early on, but I couldn't find a way around it. As for the organization: I'm intimately well aware that extended dialogue is usually done with paragraph breaks. I intentionally did not do that because it would have required over a hundred paragraphs per chapter. Besides, in that system you typically don't include the names of the speakers in each separate paragraph, and I'd imagine readers would be lost as to which character is talking once they pass line break thirty. As I said, it's a television/movie type of thing, where this stuff is written in screenplay form, making it much clearer to understand._

_Also, there were some comments about the characters acting OOC. They are and aren't- I wrote this intentionally thinking of how people tend to change between late teens and mid-20s. Between ages sixteen and twenty-one, I lost a lot of shyness I used to have, so I figured Ranma should, too. As for Kasumi, she's the type of girl that dreamed about marrying and settling down before she'd even graduated high school. She's now twenty-five and single. You do the math. Third, per Nabiki marrying Kuno, there were hints of that in the anime already, and Nabiki likes money while Kuno is rich, so..._

_Thanks Zeugirdor for pointing out the wrong word; I fixed it. I write these days ahead of time, (I had four chapters written when I started publishing; that's how I updated quickly) but somehow I reread that several times and didn't catch it. Even when the stories are good, it's a pet peeve of mine when published stories have mixups like that. I feel embarrassed for missing that!_

_Lastly, I want to mention another Ranma x Kasumi fanfic I just read that is far better than this one: triple-W dot fanfiction dot net /s/2971071/1/_

_That's all of the explaining, now to the story..._

* * *

A year and a half later...

Ranma and Akane sat on the front step, watching Ryoga and Kotone playing in the yard. Ryoga was looking surprisingly like the a father. He and Akane weren't married, though with the amount of time that had passed, Ranma figured it was an inevitability. "You guys are starting to look like a family," Ranma said. Akane sighed happily. "Yeah," she said. "Ryoga moves really slow with relationship stuff, but we've been seeing a lot of eachother, and he's really been a big help with Kotone. I'm kind of hoping he'll want some more someday..." "Have you told him that?" Ranma asked. Akane laughed. "I like to drop hints about getting married and having children so I can watch him blush!" she said. "Besides," she continued playfully, "not everybody buys a ring after a couple of weeks!" "Hey! We waited a year to get married!" Ranma retorted.

Akane went out to the yard to play with Kotone and Ryoga. The transformation in her had been dramatic. With Ryoga helping, the stress had melted away. She had a very easygoing demeanor compared to before. She was also taking time to spar with Ryoga. The weight she'd gained had melted away, and she was a spitting image of what she used to look like in high school. Ryoga had changed, too. Being in a happy relationship had taken away the anger he used to show toward Ranma. Ranma was surprised to hear that Ryoga's secret had gone over well- he and Akane were caught in a sudden rainstorm, and before she knew it, she was staring at her former pet P-Chan. She'd taken him home in silence, changed him back, and they'd talked. She was mad about him taking advantage of his curse, which Ranma expected, but she was also touched that he'd done so much to spend time with her. Hearing that had surprised Ranma. 'I guess everybody changes,' he'd thought.

He heard a sound behind him and turned around to see Kasumi carrying a plate of hamburgers. "Ah, geez, Kasumi!" he exclaimed. "Let me carry that!" He took the plate and carried it over to their barbecue, with Kasumi in tow. "Ranma," she said, giggling, "I'm pregnant, not sick!" Ranma set the burgers down and looked at his wife. She sure _was_ pregnant; he was sure she'd pop like a balloon if she walked into something sharp. She was six months along, but being skinny as a rail, she already looked like someone with a beach ball under their shirt. After all the time, and everything that had happened, it seemed like a dream that he was about to start raising children there at the Tendo house. He knew that in a couple more months, he'd be welcoming baby Raiden into the world. The thought made him smile.

Ranma put his arm around Kasumi as he started putting the burgers on the grill. The sizzling sounds reminded him of the grill at their hotel in Okinawa, where they'd spent their honeymoon. Remembering what happened during the week they spent there, it wasn't really a surprise that Kasumi now looked like a ripe orange. The thing that surprised him the most was how accepting she'd been of his other form. He hadn't planned to swim while they were at the beach, but on the second day Kasumi convinced him to go ahead, saying that he could just change back when they got back to the hotel. The swimming under the sunset turned romantic after a short time, and Kasumi was quick to be affectionate, despite Ranma being female. They went back to the hotel, but... hot water didn't wind up being necessary. For being the most mild-mannered of the three sisters, she was surprisingly kinky.

Kotone toddled up to Kasumi. She held up three little fingers. "I'm fee years old," she babbled. Ryoga and Akane came over. Akane held her daughter up to Kasumi's round belly. "Look, Kotone," she said. "You have a new cousin growing in there!" Kotone looked fascinated. Ranma smirked. "Maybe she'll have some brothers and sisters coming, too," he said, enjoying Ryoga's sudden redness. Kotone tugged at Ryoga's pant leg. "Daddy... up..." she said. Ryoga smiled as he picked her up, while a tear ran down Akane's smiling face.

Kasumi leaned over and gave Ranma a soft kiss, then a hug. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you too, sweetheart," he answered. "Life is good."

* * *

_Author's note: Did you get the reference to Kotone saying her age? It's a reference to "Bill Cosby: Himself". No more of these dialogue-heavy fanfics; they're too much of a chore to write. I have an idea for the next one, and it's going to have a _lot_ less talking._


End file.
